I keep working.

Check my Bio Page for some of my work.

I am concentrating my efforts on these websites as of now

http://www.nycmuzik.com & http://www.ctmuzik.com

Any questions email me and I will get back to you ASAP!

Feel free to read my past posts on technology.

CES stands for Consumer Electronics Show which is held in Las Vegas every January. Actually it is going on right now.

The CES event is important in the technology world because this is the event where all the computer/electronic companies come to showcase what’s new and what’s hot in the industry.

Think of CES for nerds like fashion week is to the fashion industry.
Just like fashion week the CES is very hard to get a ticket to and now the CES is an invite only event.

So hopefully next year I will be writing this blog from the CES event and not my couch…. LOL!

If you have a minute check out the CES website for more information.

TechwithLewis.com — Helping You with Technology

If you are still buying CD’s I suggest you move on to mp3’s.

The conversion is almost complete and in a couple of more years no more music will be sold on a compact disc.

Digital downloads are taking over as the way for people to get music. Apple ITunes has been hugely influential in the buying music online business.

Living in NYC I hardly see anyone with a CD player. Most people here have some type of mp3 player, which means that they are synching their music from a computer and most likely purchasing that music via a digital download.

There have been numerous music store closings in the past year and these music store closings will continue. Soon the only places where you will be able to buy music in the physical form will be places like Wal-Mart and other large scale retailers.

Get ready to say bye to the CD …………… soon it will be forgotten like the cassette tape and the infamous eight track.

TechwithLewis.com — Helping You with Technology

Really it is this time.

In the future everyone who uses a Windows Based computer will hear about Microsoft’s new operating system Windows 7.

Windows Vista was supposed to retire Windows XP but too many problems turned Windows Vista into a complete disaster and Windows XP stayed around longer than Microsoft had intended.

There were two main problems that slowed the change to Windows Vista:

1. Vista was not user friendly.

2. Vista contained a lot of bugs that needed to be fixed.

These problems led to many customer complaints and the computer manufactures responded by making a slow transition to adopting Windows Vista in their computers. Customers refused to use Windows Vista and still were requesting the “old” Windows XP operating system in their new computers.

Ironically, Windows Vista was supposed to be Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s popular operating system “OS X”.

Well that did not happen but now Microsoft is hoping Windows 7 will improve upon the user ability problems that plagued Windows Vista and essentially become a “nice looking” and “smooth operating” — operating system.

Last month Microsoft released an early version of Windows 7 and the feedback from the release has been quite positive. The Windows 7 early release has been praised for some of its user centered improvements like a new search function and faster loading times and shutting down times.

There has not been an official release date for Windows 7 yet as Microsoft is not trying to put it’s “foot” in it’s mouth by announcing a release date that they can not make. But look for Windows 7 in the next 2 years or so. Microsoft would like to have Windows 7 ready tomorrow but they don’t want to make the mistakes of the past.

TechwithLewis.com — Helping You with Technology

There are great sales going on especially on the internet and if you get one of those 720p Televisions a great deal could be had.

Look on the following websites for a HDTV: Amazon.com and Tiger Direct

Don’t believe the hype about 1080p unless the TV is over 42 inches because most people can’t tell the difference in picture quality between a 720p and a 1080p HDTV.

Stick with a Sony or a Samsung.

Oh and you can buy the inexpensive HDMI cables, they will work just as well as the expensive monster cables.

Happy New Year!
TechwithLewis.com — Helping You with Technology

News Flash!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Text Messaging is overpriced……….

NO?

REALLY?

Yes it is

But you knew that already didn’t you!

I know your saying “Ok Lewis thanks for stating the obvious”

But what I bet you didn’t know is that it costs your cell phone company next to nothing to send your messages no matter how many messages you send.

What matters most in cost for a phone carrier is the LENGTH of that message.

As long as the message is under 160 characters in length your cell phone carrier pays very little.

I am not going to get into the nuts and bolts of the technical breakdown of how it costs your cell phone company next to nothing to send a message because this article from the New York Times Times breaks down the text messaging pricing game.

Bottom line……

You are getting gouged if you pay for an unlimited text messaging plan.

With my cell phone plan I get the 200 text messages per month at a cost of $5

If you send more than 200 text messages a month do what I do and send the text messages through your email.

As long as you know the carrier of the number you are texting you can send the message through your email.

The following list is of the major carriers and their addresses for sending text messages through your email   

TechwithLewis.com — Helping You with Technology

First off I will say that in my opinion the iPhone is the best Smartphone sold in the United States.

I know some people will disagree with me –> (blackberry owners and HTC owners especially)

But the numbers do not lie.

The iPhone is the #1 selling cell phone in the United States… so I am right in that context.

When buying a cell phone you have to make a decision on what’s best for YOU!

I have historically been against buying an iPhone but the truth of the matter is that the iPhone is the best phone for my needs.

Now let’s talk about the “Jailbreak”

For those that do not know what happens when you “Jailbreak” an iPhone. It means that you hack the iPhone to make it capable of running extra software that it was not initially intended to run.

The “Jailbreak” moniker really is an accurate description because so much of the iPhone’s potential is locked up by Apple with it’s restrictions on app development and general access restrictions

Here is a short list of some restrictions that really made things difficult for me:

1. iPhone can only “sync” with 1 computer at a time — therefore all my iPhone data is on one computer  and I have to have access to that computer in order to update my phone (very difficult since most days I am in different states)

2. No copy/paste feature (hurts productivity and with an onscreen keyboard limits this phone for serious business use — this is the main reason why this phone will never challenge blackberries as a business phone)

3. You can not send an image in a text message.. I.e. no MMS

Two of these issues were solved when I successfully completed my “Jailbreak” and now  I can do other things like edit web pages and check on my other computers remotely.

I was used to having complete access to my cell phone. My previous phone was a Cingular 8525 (windows mobile based phone) which I could program any way I wished. So within 3 days of owning the iPhone I could no longer deal with the restrictions and I decided to “Jailbreak” it.

The “Jailbreaking” process was relatively easy. It only required that I follow a detailed set of directions. Please note that once you “Jailbreak” your phone you void all warranties and you do run the risk of “bricking” your phone which means that the “Jailbreaking” process causes your phone to not work at all.

The person who sold me the phone told me that if I broke my phone I could buy a replacement for $400.

I wrote this article for those thinking of “Jailbreaking” their phone. Most likely if you are thinking about it you will do it at some point. I just wanted to share my experience.

TechwithLewis.com — Helping You with Technology

But it’s all good.

Why you may ask?

I should be back in the city soon and also I have a new toy to help me with the commute.

I am a PROUD new owner of an iPhone!!!!!

I bought it and trust me it was a hard decision.

Why?

Because I had to suck up my pride and go over to the dark side and after a few frustrating days of owning the iPhone I was ready to return it.

I thought I could deal with Apple’s restrictions on how I could access information but the more I used it, the more restrictions I ran into and  I was fed up.

So I had to do what I had to –> I was left no choice………… I gotta work…………you understand right?

Therefore I had to Jailbreake the iPhone to alleviate my frustration and more importantly make this thing useable in a acceptable manner.

Now, I am not going to get into Jailbreaking iPhone’s because you can “google” it yourself and Jailbreaking your iPhone could void your warranty.

Jailbreaking your iPhone can lead  to your iPhone becoming inoperable so you are risking losing $200 on the phone and stuck with a 2 year contract.

I decided to throw caution to the wind and do it anyway.

I made a good decision….. now I can realize the full potential of the phone.

More on my Jailbreak and other stuff next time.

Oh and I am writing a bi-weekly column from now on. Look for my entries on Wendsdays and Fridays

Peace!

The commute is exhausting ….. so until I move into a new place I am cutting back on this column.

For now my focus is on developing this website:

I will be moving back to NYC soon and when I do this column will be updated.
Stay tuned.
Until then.

Peace

TechwithLewis.com — Helping You with Technology

Had to get my housing situated this past week as my apartment has been without heat. For now I will be staying in Connecticut until I learn more about my existing place or find another place in NYC.

1. VOTE VOTE VOTE –> I will be @ the polls early on Tuesday (6am)

2. The Playstation 3 is some kind of video game system ……….. online play with speech is a beautiful thing.

3. Steelers vs Redskins Monday Night 9pm —> GO STEELERS!

4. My mother and sister are proud owners of iPhones ……………. I still have my 2 year old cellphone…………Since the HTC TOUCH HD will not be released here in the United States, I am waiting for this phone to be released on the AT&T  network…………………… It’s an improvement over my existing phone but I will have to test it out………….if I have any doubts I will bite the bullet and get the iPhone

5 More later check back with me

ok
Lets go

1. The New MacBooks were previewed the other day. They look real nice with the aluminum and everything and there has been some new functionality added. More on the new MacBooks Here

2. Wall Street is up and down…….Hopefully people will be able to buy their new cars now. If they cant buy new cars at least everyone will be able to afford gas.

3. I saw the third and last debate last night. I would say if you dont know who you want to vote for by now then there are other factors that are factoring into your decision that should not be a factor.

4. McCain looked angry last night………………He seems like a hothead………..I dont want my president saying “cockamami”………………Palin is not qualified to be vice president ..

5. Ringtones are played out…………..put your phone on vibrate.

6. PacMan Jones …………………I wish him the best

7. I have been working with Java and Java programmers for the better part of 3 months and I dont really care for Java or these programmers. Java seems to attract a lot of Charlatans…………..I am past tired with the egocentric nonsense they display. Java is a programming language that is not as complex and difficult as they would like you to think.

2. Steelers 4-1! what a game! Big Ben made big time plays with people hanging on his back.. 99 yards by backup Mewelde Moore. Next week is a bye week so hopefully the steelers can heal up.

3. The Touch HD will not be coming to the USA. Now I need to get a different cellphone ………. I am really trying to stay away from the Iphone…… I will have to do more research or buy a Iphone and Jailbreak it.

4. I am really excited about one of my projects. This site is gonna be nice! All my work except for the Design… Custom content management system (no drupal or Joomla here!) and tableless ………………. Hopefully we can have her running 100% within 2 weeks … I will keep you posted on the info and a link to the site.

5. It’s Time for change……….IT really is Time for Change ………….I will say it again……….It is Time for Change… Hopefully America is ready.

6. Everyone said the Wall Street bailout was neccessary……Was 100 billion of the 700 billion that is slated for pork barrel issues necessary?
Business is Business even when the American Economy is at stake.

7. I played the PS3 for the first time this weekend………..I know I am VERY late but nowadays I dont have time to play video games.
The PS3 is a superb system in all ways.
I just wish I had time to play video games.

2. Just read that Toshiba makes rechargeable batteries that can be recharged in 10 minutes and last much longer than Lithium Ion batteries……..this is major geek news to me. Need to get my hands on these.

3. My 9-5 job requires me to work on wall street … I can tell you that it is a spectacle down here with all the media and stuff………oh and these people are not happy that the bailout didnt pass………… jobs are on the line right now and it is getting stressful for many.

4. Japan is getting 1gbps internet download speed for $56 per month FOR CONSUMERS!!!!!!!!!!!……..

Here in America companies are not pushed to improve as much as they are in Japan………….To sum it up quickly, Big business is stifling innovation and will hurt this country in the long run if it continues. The internet has changed the way the game is played and those who dont innovate and improve will be left behind.

5. Speaking of being left behind my new yet to be purchased cell phone HTC HD has already been released in Germany.  From the information I have been able to get my hands on I am hoping they will release the HTC HD  phone here by Christmas.

As far as getting the best cell phones, Japan and Europe usually gets the latest first.

Except for the Iphone.

If not for Apple creating the Iphone most of America would still be dealing with very slow data speeds on cell phone networks –> Consumers were getting upset that their web sites loaded slowly on the Iphone. So Apple forced At&T to improve their 3G network and thus they were able to release the 3G Iphone.

Note.. In my opinion 3G is still slow but its an improvement and a movement forward.

Actually I have to thank Apple for creating the Iphone because they have pushed the world wide cell phone industry to be more innovative and consumer driven. Technology wise the Iphone is not that innovative. The technology used in the Iphone has been around for years. Apple has done a great job at combining the technology and making it fun for the consumer.

I think the Iphone is a great product but it is way too restrictive and intrusive for me to purchase. I am not going to get into it but you can read more HERE and HERE and HERE.

7. Breaking news ……… and it stinks ……… Rashard Mendenhall is out for the season.
Rashard was talking smack to the Ravens defense before the game. Ray Lewis hit him and broke his shoulder ………..Rookie should have kept his mouth shut.

2. I was going to buy this new cellphone the HTC Touch
but
The same company improved upon that phone a few weeks ago when they released the HTC HD

So I have decided that this will be my new phone…..unfortunately it’s only available in Europe but hopefully they will release this phone here in a couple of months.

3. Steelers 2-1 not bad ….. but the O-Line is average at best right now…. they are not a cohesive unit and were exposed Sunday by the Eagles fast defense. I think the O-line will get better the longer they play together. I just hope Ben holds up this season.

4. Kimbo Slice is fighting Ken Shamrock in a few weeks ….. I hope he brings his A game cause he is gonna need it

5. Not really excited about Google Android

6. I dont think Government should be bailing out the financial industry…………they say the bailout is necessary for our financial stability……………but how did the financial industry become unstable? ………… that’s the real question……………….. and no one wants to face the FACTS on that answer

I think it’s time for change

7. Bloomberg is talking about raising property taxes here in NYC……………… that is just ridiculous …….. did the Yankees really need a 1.3 billion dollar stadium of which $850 million is funded by taxpayers ?………… I thought the Old Yankee Stadium was fine…….

8. try this out Google and the MTA ..Genius… make sure you bookmark this site!

9. R Kelly called himself the “Pied Piper of R&B” a LONG time ago………  R Kelly has been telling us what he is about through his music for many many years…………

10. And speaking of many many…………….. I think the Red Sox come playoff time will miss Manny being Manny in a Red Sox uniform.  It would be ironic if the Dodgers and the Red Sox met in the World Series

1. MacBook — better than a PC as a laptop and looks way better but the cheap plastic means you have to be extra careful with it.

2. iPhone/BlackBerry type cell phones –  everyone here in New York has one soon the rest of the country will follow. Everyone will soon be checking their websites on their cellphones — note .. right now I feel real good I chose web development as a career and not retail management

3. I will miss the New York summer but I will not miss the saunas that are the New York city subway stations –> now lets get ready to freeze…………….

4.  Go Steelers!

5.  Tom Brady goes down New York Jets chances go up –> the Jets will make the playoffs but Farve will have to play a few more years with them to win a superbowl and I dont think Brett is up for that

6.  More nerd stuff — someday Javascript will be ancient history ..  but right now unfortunately I think its at least 7 years from that happening.

7.  The web design/development industry has finally reached the point of specialization where there are many different choices to make a nice living. The days of having your web designer/programmer/system administrator all function as 1 employee are over.

8. I really like living in BedStuy

I was all set to give up my current phone (Cingular 8525) and buy the iPhone.

But

When the iPhone dropped they had this ridiculous contract that I was not into signing.

Yes the phone cost $199 but after 2 years of paying for the silly AT&T pricing plans the phone cost more than it did last year.

That was a big gripe with me and I recently found out that the Apple has the ability to connect to your phone without your permission and once connected Apple has the ability to remove software from your iPhone without your permission. (Note Blackberries also have this function)
I also dont like the lack of a physical keyboard on the iPhone

So ………….
Time to move on

Here is what I plan to move on to in a month or so when the phone is released here in the United States

HTC Touch Pro

check the video for a demonstration

With all these people online where do they go?

Many spend time on social networking sites such as facebook, myspace, and twitter.

These websites have millions of members and are used all over the world.

Now with that in mind I need to switch into the part of this column that focuses on my self promotion

Drumroll……..

I have recently begun developing and promoting …………………..

NewHavenOnline.biz. was created with the intent of promoting local music talent in Connecticut and to provide a online “home” for 18-35 year olds.

Right now I feel the internet is large enough to where it can branch off locally in a small market and still be successful. Regionalization of the internet has already begun in major cities such as New York and Los Angeles who have Going.com , MyOpenBar.com, and other similar sites

So there you have it.
A little bit of “my philosophy on the industry” –> (As I thank KRS-One for the quote!)

Lets see if we can get Connecticut to stand up.

Like many millions of people I have been exclusively working on a PC for some time.
Being a web designer I have been asked……. well more yet told by others that “real web designers only use Macs”.
Upon hearing such statement I would just quietly chuckle to myself and would tell them that the majority of websites are still built using PC’s.
The responses I received ranged from dumbfounded to indignation.
Oh well

About four years ago I bought a used Mac desktop computer just to see what it was like and how it worked.
All in all I was impressed with the simplicity and ease of use that Macs offered, but I was disappointed that I couldn’t get certain software for the Mac that I could easily get for the PC and the 1 button mouse that Mac uses, I could never get used to.
The Mac soon began collecting dust in a closet.

Fast forward to August of 2006 when I decided to buy a Toshiba PC Laptop. The Toshiba laptop is a wonderful computer that ran fine for a year and a half, save for a bios problem that cost me $29.
One day though I turned on the laptop and the screen was black and I could not see anything on the screen.
After spending hours trying to diagnose and fix the problem I found out that the screen was bad and that the only solution would be to buy another screen for $300.
I decided that the computer was not worth the investment and I needed to move on.
Ironically the laptop still works if it is hooked up to a monitor but it was useless as a portable computer.

So after this disaster I was left without a laptop.
Not good.
After mulling over a lot of options I decided to take the plunge into the Mac world

Here were my main reasons for switching to a Mac

*Reliability – Mac laptops seem to last longer and have less problems than their PC counterparts (note: despite this fact I bought the extra 2 year warranty when I bought my Macbook)

*Ease of Use – Macs tend to be easier to use than PC’s and have less software problems (note: most of the time I am using a laptop to show people demonstrations or to check my email – my desktop computer is a PC and it is where I do the majority of my work)

*Looks – The Mac simply just looks better and I think the new OSX is slick the way it operates

My biggest pet peeve about Macs is their cost.
I think they are a bit overpriced BUT they do have a higher resale value than a PC
I decided to deal with my pet peeve and buy the computer anyway.

Side Note. Mac owners tend to be a different breed and from my experiences are very passionate about their computers.

I can’t say I fall into that category as I still like PC’s more than Macs but it is a nice change of pace to use a Mac sometimes.

The Wii Fit has already been released in Japan and it is selling like hot cakes. I am predicting the same here in the United States. Hopefully Nintendo will have more Wii Game Systems available for purchase when the Wii Fit is released.

Check the Video below for more information on the Wii Fit.

Word out is that Hip Hop pioneer/entrepeneur Jay Z and Itunes are gonna get together and start a label.

When napster was created over 10 years ago it changed the way we share music. When Jay Z released his first album over 10 years ago he changed the way rappers viewed themselves and started a trend as rappers aspiring to be entrepreneurs.

Fast forward to January 2008 and you will find various online retailers selling music and millions of file sharing sites trading music “illegally”. You will also find Master P, Dr Dre, and a host of other rappers making money outside of the music.

Jay Z was recently quoted as saying the business model for buying music has changed. The music is the same but the way people purchase music has changed.

I guess Jay Z leaving Def Jam was more to it than most realized.

My thoughts on buying music in the future

I feel that eventually the only way you will be able to buy music will be online. Mp3’s will replace the compact disc the same way the compact disc replaced the audio tape (see my article The End of the Compact Disc?). Ipod like devices will get larger in storage space and cheaper in price thus enabling you to store more music for less.
When people began trading music online the record companies were slow to react and take control of the new way of doing things. If there had been an Itunes like service 10 years ago that company would have made huge profits and had major control. Since the record companies were slow to react back then to music file sharing they are losing millions today.

Some other popular phones include the T-Mobile Sidekick, RAZR, and the Nokia Sirroco. Also worth noting the iPhone was not that widely used. I found that celebrities tend to stick to their cell phones for a while because they are familiar with their phones and switching to new technology takes too much of their time.

I also saw many phones that were tricked out with diamonds, gold, and other jewels. For more information on how you can customize your phone check my post Platinum Coated & Gold Plated.

Family fun for everyone!

Most people have heard about the WII which is a revolutionary video game system.
If you are thinking about getting one I think you should go for it because most people have not regretted buying this system.

Trust me when I say the WII is fun for everyone. People who never were previously interested in video games are drawn to this system which actually lets you participate by moving your arms and body to control the action on the screen.

Hours of fun and laughs can be had by all with this game system.
The basic WII game system comes included with 2 sets of controllers and a game entitled WII Sports.
WII Sports includes boxing, bowling, tennis, golf, and baseball. WII sports was made to let everyone play regardless of age.
The tennis game even lets 4 people play at the same time.

Whenever anyone comes over my house they always want to play the WII and it usually turns into hours of fun.

Depending on where you live the WII can be a hard item to obtain.
Nintendo which makes the WII has not been able to keep up with the demand for over a year now.
Subsequently the WII is usually in short supply and always sold out.

Most Toys R Us, Wal Marts, Targets, and similar stores sell the WII but unfortunately you will often find that the system is out of stock. All the stores get their shipments of WII’s at the same time. Usually the retailers wait until Sunday morning to sell them. Which is at a first come - first serve basis. Gamestop, Electronic Boutique and similar stores also sell the WII system

Price is around $250 based on your state income tax, more if you buy a bundled system which will include extra games.

If you are looking for a WII and can not find one and you are willing to pay more for it you can definitely buy a WII online from Ebay. Expect to pay $400 and up the closer you get to Christmas. Prices should drop after the Holiday season though to around $300 on Ebay

The main advantage flash memory storage has over a regular CD is that flash memory doesn’t suffer from the same problems that CD’s have like scratches and problems storing in varying temperatures. Flash memory can last a lot longer than the life if a CD can.

The CD may be around for a few more years but as the cost of flash memory decreases; the switch to more convenient flash memory will increase which will eventually phase out the modern CD.

This is not the fake stuff only the real deal and its coming straight from England.

The people who first brought the gold plated iPhone now bring you the platinum plated version.

To see iced out laptops, cell phones, and more log on to the Goldstriker website to get yours today.